Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
(Jonah 4:1-11; Luke 11:1-4)
The readings today demonstrate two ways of praying. Jonah prays to God in a dialogical
manner. He expresses his feelings to the
Lord with whom he has a long-standing relationship. His prayer is reminiscent
of the prayer of the preacher in the underrated motion picture The Apostle. The preacher, who could be cruel and blood-thirsty,
nevertheless enjoyed a vibrant relationship with the Lord.
A second, formal way of praying is demonstrated in today’s
gospel. Asked by his disciples to teach
them to pray, Jesus responds with a skeletal -bones version of the “Our Father.”
The prayer contains the necessary elements of praise, petition, and hope. When one cannot think of what to tell the
Lord, the “Our Father” is the perfect fallback.
Whether formal or informal, our prayer should be
frequent. Although evidence of God
surrounds us, He is still imperceptible to our senses. We need to remind ourselves continually of
His fundamental role in our lives. He deserves
praise and thanks as our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. We need His ongoing assistance so that we
might follow His ways as true daughters and sons.
